1. Field of the Invention
The invention is in the field of refrigeration and, more particularly, of its application to the commercial manufacture of ice in the form of tubes, or rods, which are fragmented during the harvesting operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Shell and tube icemakers in the general category under consideration are disclosed in prior art such as Garland U.S. Pat. No. 2,870,612, and Chapman, U.S. Pat. No. 2,739,457.
These differ in various respects from the present invention, including the use of ordinary hot gas for defrosting, instead of liquid refrigerant, the method of distribution of water, and the arrangement of the defrosting refrigerant with respect to the freezing refrigerant in heat exchange relation with the tubes.
Prior art which is of interest with respect to the location of defrosting media includes the patents to Trepaud, U.S. Pat. No. 2,663,162 and 2,749,721, and Wilbushewich, 2,594,529.
Patents which are of interest with respect to the use of liquid refrigerant, although not in similar manner to the present invention, include Wilbushewich U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,594,529, and Trepaud 3,036,443.
Patents which disclose various arrangements for distributing water to ice machines include U.S. Pat. Nos. Burdick, 1,694,370, Gruner, 2,387,899, and Kessler et al, 3,849,232.